Summer, aside from the heat, makes many of us happy. But it also threatens our eyes. Sea, pool, sun and allergic conditions that increase with summer negatively affect our eye health.

Sea, sand, sun… This trio means summer and of course it also means vacation. If you want to have a trouble-free summer, you should pay special attention to your eye health because many dangers await your eyes during the summer months. In summer, external factors cause some eye diseases to occur and some to increase in severity. Faculty Member of Acıbadem University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology and Acıbadem Hospital Ophthalmology Specialist Prof. Dr. Özgül Altıntaş said, “Some summer risks are also watching children from sun rays to the sea, pool and beach, from the garden to green areas. Allergic reactions, sun exposure, flies, sand and dust in the eyes, exposure to insufficiently cleaned or chemical-rich pool water, and many other summer hazards can cause significant problems in children’s eyes. For this reason, some rules should be observed in terms of eye health in children in summer. Otherwise, some simple mistakes can cause permanent eye damage in the future.” Prof. Dr. Özgül Altıntaş explained the factors that threaten children’s eyes in summer and ways of protection, and gave important warnings and suggestions.

Summer allergens
Dust and pollen, which are more abundant in the air in summer, trigger allergies, often causing bloodshot, itchy and watery eyes in children. Eye allergy is an overreaction to a substance / food / pollen / house mite etc. due to the body’s immune system being sensitive to it. Itching, bloodshot and watery eyes. Sensitivity to light develops. Eyelids may swell. The best way to prevent allergies is to identify the cause of allergy and avoid it as much as possible. It is not possible to avoid every allergen. A wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses should be worn outdoors to protect against flying pollen and dust. Cold compresses can be applied to relieve the child and reduce the need for edema and itching. The type and duration of treatment is determined by the ophthalmologist according to the severity of the allergy. Otherwise, the child’s comfort of life will decrease. Rubbing and scratching the eyes causes the need for itching in the eyes to increase. Increased hand-eye contact is an important reason for the formation and proliferation of eye infections. Therefore, we should avoid rubbing our eyes and wash our hands frequently.

Getting ‘something’ in the eye!
During the summer months when children spend more time outdoors, foreign objects such as sand, dust, flies or grass can get into their eyes. Sometimes their own eyelashes can also get into their eyes. In these cases, children’s eyes bleed, watery, sensitive to light and need increased rubbing. This risk increases at beaches and rural areas. When a foreign body gets into the eyes, if we can see the foreign body, we can wash the eyes with a tear drop and float the foreign body with liquid to get it out. In this case, old drops left at home should not be used. However, if we cannot see it and the child’s complaints persist, the foreign body may be lodged in the inner part of the lids or lodged in the surface of the eye. We should definitely see an ophthalmologist. Because as the eyelid moves, the foreign body can scratch the transparent layer (cornea), causing infection and permanent damage. The ophthalmologist should remove the foreign body under a microscope if necessary and organize the necessary treatment. If it is not a foreign body but a chemical substance, the best thing to do is to wash the eye with clean water if there are no tears and to consult an ophthalmologist as soon as possible.

Solar radiation
Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light can result in cataracts and retinal diseases in children. For this reason, children should stay away from the sun’s rays as much as possible during the hours when the sun reaches the earth vertically, especially between 10:00 and 16:00. In early infancy, the use of wide-brimmed hats in the shade of trees and the protection provided by the canopy of strollers will be sufficient. It is also a great risk for eye health for your child to look directly at the sun, either with the naked eye or with sunglasses. Therefore, when your child does this, explain why and make sure he/she understands that this is not the right thing to do.

Attractive but poor quality sunglasses
Sunglasses that children are attracted to because of their colors or because they are decorated with cartoon heroes can cause serious, permanent eye damage if they do not have UV protection. From the age of 2, children can start wearing sunglasses with 100 percent UV protection and Solar class 2 and 3. Be sure to see the certificate. The frame of the sunglasses should be made of flexible material, the lenses should be made of polycarbonate material that does not break easily and lenses that do not crack. Even if they are made of a material that does not break easily, it does not mean that they will never break. It would be appropriate to remove them in active environments, when playing in crowds with other children. It should also be suitable for the face shape of the growing child, it should be light, it should not put pressure on the nose, the temple should be long and should not disturb the ear.

Entering the sea and pool without glasses
Eye Diseases Specialist Prof. Dr. Özgül Altıntaş said, “Pool chlorine and sea salt can cause redness or irritation in the eyes. For this reason, it is important for eye health that children wear swimming goggles when entering the sea and pool. However, if water gets into the eyes or if it is not possible to have your child wear swimming goggles, it is necessary to wash the face and eyes with clean water after getting out of the water.”

Impact to the eye during sports/games
In the summer months, there are many outdoor sports for older children. During these sports, they can be hit in the eyes by balls, elbows, hands and nails, so they should always be careful. Such direct trauma can cause serious eye injury, corneal scratches, retinal tears, intraocular bleeding and edema. An insignificant blow, even if not noticed at the time, can lead to blindness in the future. Precautions should be taken according to the sport practiced. Swimmers should use swimming goggles to protect themselves from conjunctivitis and wash their eyes after leaving the pool. In tennis, both UV-protective and impact-resistant glasses should be used. Wearing protective impact-resistant sports goggles in close contact sports is useful to reduce these risks. However, these glasses are not absolutely unbreakable. It would be more appropriate not to use them in very close sports.

Klima
The simplest precaution is to moisturize our eyes more often by blinking more often, as tears can evaporate more than normal in sunny or air-conditioned environments in summer, causing drying, stinging, burning and even damage to the eye surface. You can also use an air humidifier in an air-conditioned environment. If the problem persists despite these, you can use artificial tear drops in consultation with an ophthalmologist, but if they are not enough, more intensive treatment may be required.

July 2023